


Chameleon: Take Two

by Jolynn_Noire



Series: Miraculous: Redux [3]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: But they aren't traitors to their class prez, Canon Rewrite, Canon level romance - Freeform, Chameleon Rewrite, Chameleon Salt, Gen, It's season 3 people, Lila is still a liar, Miraculous Take Two, Open to Critisim, The class is still dumb, Unlike the creators of the show, canon level violence, marinette and adrien are friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-28 08:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18752695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jolynn_Noire/pseuds/Jolynn_Noire
Summary: Part of my "Miraculous: Take Two" SeriesWhen Lila returns to Françoise Dupont High School, Marinette tries to keep the peace, despite the continuous lies. But, will the pressure of pacifism be too much for the young hero to take?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for checking out this Canon Rewrite of Chameleon.  
> I started my full canon rewrite with this episode because I think most people agree it left a lot to be desired. Therefore, I'm trying my best to give us a different take of a similar story. 
> 
> *Disclaimer- The only canon changes that matters prior to this is in Heroes Day when Lila is video calling and spitting her lies. That’s when Marinette kind of gets accused of being jealous, and since then, chooses to keep silent on the issue; Marinette and Adrien act more like friends, because of their time together in the previous seasons*

The day started like any other monday. Marinette overslept and had to scramble around her room to make sure she had all her projects for school, before rushing off, with only a quick goodbye to her parents and a croissant in her mouth like an anime school girl. As she almost ran into the teaching aid on her way to her classroom, she wondered if today would be any different than any of the other countless Mondays she had spent since receiving her miraculous.

However, as soon as she opened the classroom door, she noticed something very different.

Most everyone was seated on another bench, paired up with someone else. Everyone it seemed, except Adrien, who continued to sit in the front row, seemingly unfazed by the fact that his best friend was now one seat back. 

Noticing the free seat beside her crush, she smiled. Alya must have been behind this. Somehow, she must have talked to the girls, who talked to their bench mates, and everyone moved around so she could sit with Adrien.

Sure, it seemed overly complicated when just Nino and herself could switch spots, but perhaps it was to look less suspicious?

Whatever the reason, Marinette knew she owed Alya a whole box of cookies to thank her. The dark haired girl headed to her friend, when their teacher, Ms. Bustier called her from her front desk.

“Marinette, can you come here please?”

She obeyed, curious if she had done something wrong. Ms. Bustier’s smile showed otherwise.

“We have a new student coming in today and, because she has hearing difficulties, she asked to sit in the front row. Our class has tried to accommodate that, but unfortunately, it means that someone must sit in the back of the class.”

Marinette tried to process what was being explained, and it didn’t take long to realize what her teacher was asking of her. As class representative, it was Marinette’s job to make sure that the entire class felt like they could learn and feel important to the school as a whole. Meaning that, in the best interest of the class and this new classmate,  she should sit in the back.

She looked back at the empty seat beside Adrien, who happened to catch her gaze and smile at her. 

Why did doing the right thing have to be so  _ hard? _

“I can sit in the back, Ms,” Mariette said, turning back to her teacher, who have her a proud smile. 

“Thank you. Marinette,” she said, patting the short girl on her shoulder, “I’m sure Lila will be thankful.”

Marinette swore she could feel the world stop spinning.  _**Lila?** _

As if on cue, the girl in question walked into the classroom. Marinette bit her lip to keep from taking her kind gesture back. She had learned that speaking out against Lila publicly, trying to expose her lies, only caused herself to seem jealous. 

Besides, perhaps Lila was having hearing challenges and needed to be close to the front. Lila caught eyes with Adrien, and batted her lashes. 

Probably not. 

Marinette forced herself to walk up the stairs, not wanting to start something publicly. If she started a fight over this, everyone would have no reason to doubt that her warnings of Lila’s real nature was just jealousy. 

As she passed her best friend, Alya grabbed her hand. 

“Want me to sit in back with you?”

It was tempting to not be sitting alone, but she needed her best friend keeping an eye on their new classmate.

“I’m okay. See you guys at lunch.”

Alya nodded, and Marinette walked alone to the back of the classroom.

From her height and distance, she couldn’t hear what Lila was saying to Adrien, now that they were sitting together, but the way she had her hand on his shoulder made her glare into the back of the new girl’s head.

 

Meanwhile, across Paris, her frustrations were heard by a man in dark purple.

“Being isolated from your friends, due to your desire to keep peace? Such injustice is perfect for my needs.” 

He captured a white butterfly, which turned dark purple in his grasp. As he released it, he charged his akuma to bring the student to their side.

 

Unaware of Marinette burning holes into Lila’s skull, Adrien was preoccupied with his own concerns. Sure, he had agreed to be Lila’s benchmate, but he did not agree to being touched against his will. 

Unlike Chloé, who had years of friendship behind her affection, Lila was still virtually a stranger, especially considering every other thing she said seemed to be a lie. And presently, she currently had her arms wrapped around him like a boa constrictor.

“So, hopefully after my tendinitis gets better, I can show you how Anna Kravtchenko taught me to play back in Italy.” 

He nodded to give the allusion that he was even remotely believed in what she was saying, as he tried to catch eyes with Ms. Bustier. The teacher looked over her class and caught Adrien’s signs of distress. She gave a sigh.

“Ms. Rossi, please try to keep physical displays of affection outside of class time.”

Adrien felt Lila pull back, try to explain herself with differences in culture or something. He was too busy moving to the edge of his bench to listen. This would be a long day if this was going to be the norm.

 

In the back of the class, Marinette watched the events unfold, noticing how still and uncomfortable Adrien seemed to be. It was clear to anyone paying attention that Adrien did not want this attention. And yet, Lila didn’t get the hint. 

Marinette continued to simmer, until a series of soft pats landed on her leg. She looked down to see Tikki, smiling encouragingly at her from her purse. Marinette gave a small smile back, taking a deep breath to calm herself. 

Being this frustrated wouldn’t do anyone any good. If Adrien was uncomfortable, he would eventually say something, right? And, it would only be a matter of time before Lila did something to expose herself. Slowly, she felt calmer and turned to her classwork.

 

Unknown to anyone in the classroom, a little black butterfly halted its entrance into the room, unsure what to do now that Marinette’s feelings were fading.

Back in his lair, Hawkmoth expressed his annoyance.

“The negativity is fading. How can this be?” He huffed, before addressing his butterfly minion, “Lay low, my Akuma. School is a breeding ground of negative emotions. She will change her mind by the end of the day.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double first upload!
> 
> Marinette and Adrien act like close friends and talk about Lila

Classes went on uneventfully, and before long, the bell ran for Lunch. 

Adrien let out a sigh of relief, thankful that his father forced him to have his meals at home. That would at least give him thirty minutes without dealing with-

“Adrien! You want to come have lunch with me?” Lila’s sickeningly ‘sweet’ voice called out to him. He turned to her, due to years of being told to speak when being addressed to, even when he wanted to just ignore her and get out of there as soon as possible.

“Sorry,” he started, continuing his walk to the door, “My father likes to have me home for meals.”

Lila pouted.

“But, surely, he wouldn’t know if you stayed just once.”

The comment hurt because it was true, but Adrien stood unfazed, trying to find another respectful way to show he wasn’t interested. Just then, a savior came up behind him.

“Adrien, I’m sure your driver is here already. Can I walk you out?”

He turned to see Marinette, her fingers twisting in her pigtail, and her eyes flicking between Lila and himself. Adrien had never felt so relieved to see anyone.

“Yeah, sure,” he replied, offering his arm, which his dark-haired friend took with a blush. Then, he addressed Lila, “See you in Ms. Mandelev’s class.”

 

As the duo walked down the hall, Adrien spoke again.

“Thanks for rescuing me, Marinette.”

Marinette blushed, looking off to the side.

“It’s nothing. I was going home for lunch anyway, and you seemed to be looking for a way out of that conversation.”

He moved his free arm behind his neck nervously.

“Was it that obvious?”

Marinette glanced up at him. She didn’t really want to admit that she had been watching them for most of the class.

“Perhaps to those of us that really like- er- know you,” she told him, stumbling slightly on her untold confession.

Her tone turned more annoyed, “Besides, Lila doesn’t really strike me as someone who likes to listen to nos,”

As they reached the door, Adrien released her arm to open the door for them.

“So, you seem to still not like Lila very much,” he teased, as she passed him.

 

She shrugged, blushing again as she walked down the steps.

“I don’t like that she lies to everyone,” she admitted, crossing her arms, “I mean, they aren’t even convincing lies, but people just eat them up like she’s the best person to ever step foot in our school.”

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became.

“I just wish I could show everyone how dishonest she’s being, just to get people to like her.”

“Well, if she’s just trying to make friends, what’s the harm?” Adrien asked, falling back in step with her, “Perhaps, she’s just insecure about herself.”

“But, how can you make friends by lying to people?” Marinette countered, “If you can’t trust your friends to be honest with you, who can you trust?”

The question lingered in the air, hitting both the teens in different ways.

Adrien thought of the silent compliance that kept him from being a normal kid with a normal life. His last name held so much weight that sometimes it felt heavier than his duty to protect Paris. 

Meanwhile, Marinette fiddled with her earrings, reminded of the many lies she told daily to keep her secret identity and loved ones safe. Perhaps she wasn’t as open with her friends as she claimed.

A silver car pulling up to the curb, bringing the teens back to Earth with a single honk.

“That’s my ride,” Adrien said, before moving to leave. Marinette’s voice caused him to pause.

“Maybe you’re right… I mean, Lila isn’t hurting anyone, right?”

It was clear she didn’t fully believe what she was saying, but what other option did she have? Everyone loved Lila, and it was clear every time she tried to expose her, her friends figured it was just jealousy. It was just so frustrating that Marinette felt the dark feeling seep back into her mind.

“Maybe…” was Adrien’s reply, before giving the sunshiny smile she had fallen for, “But, you and I in this together, right?”

Marinette blushed, the fluttering of her heart pushing back the negativity.

“Yeah. Together.”

Content with their conversation, Adrien waved as he got into the car and his driver closed his door. Marinette waved back until his car disappeared from sight before making her way home. Meanwhile, the once again postponed butterfly lingered on the roof of the school building, waiting for another chance to strike.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the semi-self indulgent Adrinette friendship, but after three seasons, shouldn't we at least have Marinette about to say full sentences to the guy? I mean, between Frightningale, Gorizilla, and other similar episodes where the two interact closely, I like to believe Marinette learned more of the 'real' Adrien and as she started to act more normal around him, he could open up to her more. Win-win for all.  
> And, yes. Adrien is still in heavy denial of his feelings for Marinette, but we won't focus on those in this episode ;)
> 
> And, as I said before, I pushed Adrien's pacifist idea to Heroes Day, so we could have time to see that idea fall apart ;)
> 
> If you have constructive comments, or just want to vent about canon, my comments are always open :)
> 
> ~Noire Out


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette returns from lunch and has a talk (RE: gets threatened) by Lila...

After lunch period, Marinette walked to the locker room in search of her chemistry homework. Only a few classmates lingered in the hallways, and she waved at them as she opened the door.

The room was quiet, as it was almost time for class. Just the odd student like herself grabbing something for their class.

She opened her locker just as the main door opened and shut. She breathed out a sigh; after a long talk with Tikki, she was starting to see her crush’s point of view.

Adrien was probably used to people who lied and were fake. He was a celebrity after all. He probably knew how to deal with them on a daily basis. Perhaps, befriending her wouldn’t be the worst outcome. At least it would eliminate one class annoyance.

Marinette closed her locker and was startled by Lila standing on the other side. She gave a squeak.

“Oh, I’m sorry Marinette. Did I scare you?” the brunette asked, her voice dripping with fake concern. Marinette bit back her instinctual response.

“Just surprised,” the ravenette admitted, “I didn’t expect anyone to still be in here… Class is starting in a few minutes, isn’t it?

Lila gave a smile that sent feelings of unease through Marinette.

“It is, but I wanted to talk to you about something first.”

She gave a smile that seemed as fabricated as the rest of persona.

“I just wanted to make sure what happened earlier won’t happen again.”

“What are you talking about?” Marinette asked, “We never even talked today…”

“No, but you clearly wanted to sit next to Adrien, right?” Lila explained, her voice lingering in the ‘sweet’ tone she used whenever she wanted to seem like the victim, “That’s why you interrupted our conversation earlier to steal him away. Why would you ruin that for me?”

“Because it was clear that Adrien didn’t want that,” Marinette replied, “he’s just too nice to tell people like you ‘no’.”

“Like me?” Lila asked, feigning innocence, “Whatever do you mean?”

The ravenette shook her head.

“People that like to lie to people  for their own benefit.”

Lila’s smile returned, this time it sent an uneasy chill down Marinette's spine.

“I just tell people what they want to hear...”

Lila stepped forward with each phrase, pushing her target back.

“People can’t help but believe what they want others to say. ‘I know Ladybug. I can get you an interview’, ‘The DJs in New York would love to listen to this music,’ ‘Of course someone wants to sit with you at Lunch’...”

Marinette felt her back against the wall, her heart dropping as Lila dominated in her space.

“It’s not my fault our stupid classmates are so easy to read and wrap around my fingers.”

Lila placed her hand on the other side of Marinette, pinning her to the wall.

“Let me make one thing crystal clear. There is only two sides of this. Either stand with me, or against me. Marinette Dupain-Cheng will be an outcast, shunned by her past friends, and Adrien wouldn’t be caught dead around you.”

The warning bell rang out, doing little to dispel the tension that surrounded the girls. With a smirk, Lila turned quickly, causing her brown hair to slap Marinette’s face as she tried to make it to their class on time. When she reached the door, she turned back to the ravenette, who had yet to move from her spot.

“Oh, and if you tell anyone, and I mean **_anyone_ **, about this conversation, I will make sure to ruin your perfect little reputation and any chance you think you have with Adrien.”

Marinette struggled to get a hold on herself, forcing air in and out of her lungs until she could hear Tikki’s voice.

“Marinette, are you okay?”

She gave a nod, although she wasn’t sure if she was or not. All she knew was that she underestimated Lila’s true nature.

And that she was late for class.

Her eyes growing wide, she broke into a sprint to Ms. Mandelev’s classroom, and opened the green door with far more force than she had intended.

“Miss Dupain-Cheng,” her science teacher addressed her, turning away from her whiteboard to reprimand the tardy student, “what have I told you about entering my classroom after I start?”

Marinette went to answer, but the purple haired instructor continued.

“Take this tardy slip to Mr. Damocles and remain in the hall until my next class.”

She held out a strip of paper, which the stunned ravenette took wordlessly before meeting the eyes of her classmates.

Most of them looked unsurprised; she was always late, it was bound to happen, even if the punishment did seem a bit harsh.

The only expression that stood out was of the lying exchange student, who was failing to hide her self-satisfied smirk.

This was part of her plan. To make Marinette look inconsiderate and keep her away long enough to start turning her friends away from her.

How could she have been so right about Lila, but so wrong at the same time.

“Dupain-Cheng,” Ms. Mandelev prompted sharply, “your wasting your classmates’ time with your gaping.”

Marinette managed out a quiet, “Sorry Ms,” before forcing herself out of the room.

The door clicked behind her, as Marinette took in what had happened.

Sure, she had faced down akumas, Chloe, even Hawk Moth himself, but at least she knew where those people stood. Her newest classmate was clearly more cunning and manipulative than either she or Adrien gave her credit for.

_Adrien._

What would he think if he knew she had been threatened in a locker room by a classmate whom he thought of as harmless? Would he even believe her? Could she even tell him without Lila making good on her threats?

What about everyone else? They already believed she was jealous, or at the very least, overreacting about their new ‘best friend’? Even if she told them, would they believe her?

She didn’t even notice the tears until they were making damp patches on her pink jeans. How pathetic she must have looked. She was sitting on the floor in a dirty hallway, crying like a small child.

_So much for the hero of Paris…_

“Marinette, an akuma!” Tikki’s small voice warned, pulling Marinette away from her self-deprecation. The black and purple butterfly was coming right for her. Just what she needed.

She pulled herself up and ran down the hall, trying to make more distance between the fluttering omen of negativity.

“Just calm down, Marinette,” Tikki coached her from within her purse, “It can’t akumatized you if you’re calm.”

The kwami was right of course. Hawk Moth didn’t have control over people that weren’t emotionally compromised; they saw as much with his scarlet army.

She repeated to herself the same things she had the last time Akumas tried to seize her.

“I am loved. I am strong. I will not let Hawk Moth use me to hurt my friends and family.”

Her affirmation caused the butterfly to retreat in search of someone more worthy of its control. She felt a bit of pride being able to stare down an Akuma and win.

“Ha! You can’t get me. I’m proud. I’m confident. I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng.”

She continued her short victory dance, until Tikki reminded her of her duty as Ladybug.

“Right; let’s find somewhere to-”

“Marinette!”

The ravenette looked up and met Lila in the hall. The feeling of victory faded as she recalled who had truly caused the Akuma’s presence.

The Italian seemed unaware of the change between them as she ran up to Marinette.

“Oh, I saw the Akuma, and thought-“ She wrapped her arms around the stiff girl, “I’m so glad you are okay.”

Marinette looked around; there was no one in sight. Why was she pulling her fake personality out?

Before the ravenette could figure out what was happening, she felt Lila press her lips on her cheek like a kiss of death. The world fell dark, and Marinette fell asleep before she hit the floor.

“Oops,” Lila said, her voice dripping with faux concern, “I lied.”

Lila’s appearance shifted from her own into that of her now sleeping rival. A purple akuma’s mask appeared over her eyes.

“I told you that I wouldn’t disappoint, Hawk Moth.”

A deep, menacing voice that she had come to respect echoed in her mind.

“You haven’t proven yourself yet, Chameleon. Not until you bring Ladybug and Chat Noir’s miraculouses.”

“Oh, don’t worry,” Lila-nette replied, her smirk growing, “I’ll bring you your jewels. But first, let me have my fun…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is different than Canon. I noticed Lila taking over Adrien didn’t make sense for multiple reasons.  
> One being... did Gabe not bat an eye as Lila is ruining his model son’s reputation???
> 
> Either way, I kind of wanted to use Lila’s shapeshifting to make good on her threats... plus figured it would give Marinette’s classmates a chance to play spot the difference, and Chat Noir a chance to be the lead hero for a bit.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all like the changes so far and continue with me to see how this plays out :)
> 
> ~Noire Out

**Author's Note:**

> I was tempted to write this as a one-shot because it's one episode, but it's written with natural pauses that feel more like chapter breaks and felt weird as one wall of text haha Let me know what you think.
> 
> Also, how do you like the new direction so far? As I said, I'm trying to improve canon, while still feeling true to the original show.  
> If you have any ideas or constructive criticism, just let me know in the comments. I will read and reply to each one because I'm doing this for you guys as much as me haha
> 
> ~Noire Out


End file.
